1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp using a semiconductor-type light source as a light source. In particular, the present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp efficiently utilizing light emitted from the semiconductor-type light source.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle headlamp which uses an LED lamp as a light source and efficiently utilizes light emitted from the LED lamp is conventionally known (Japanese Patent No. 4023769, for example). In addition, a headlamp which efficiently utilizes light emitted from a light emitting source of a bulb is conventionally known (Japanese Patent No. 3740636, for example).
The conventional former vehicle lighting device is a signal lamp such as a tale lamp and efficiently utilizes the light emitted from the LCD lamp by means of a first reflection surface, a second reflection surface, a third reflection surface, and a fourth reflection surface to thereby expand an area of light emission from the LED lamp. However, the conventional former vehicle lighting device cannot form a predetermined main light distribution pattern of the vehicle headlamp, for example, a light distribution pattern for low beam (a light distribution pattern for passing) or a light distribution pattern for high beam (a light distribution pattern for running) by means of the first reflection surface. In addition, the conventional latter headlamp efficiently utilizes light emitted from the light emitting source of the bulb by: forming light distribution for passing, by means of a main reflection surface; and reflecting invalid light emitted from the light emitting source of the bulb to an opening side of a shield plate downward of the bulb by means of a right elliptical reflection surface and a left elliptical reflection surface and then reflecting the reflected light passing through the opening of the shield plate by means of a right parabolic reflection surface and a left parabolic reflection surface. However, in the conventional latter headlamp, the shield plate is provided downward of the bulb in order to form the light emitted from the light emitting source of the bulb by means of the main reflection surface and on the shield plate, an opening is provided for passing the reflected light beams from the right elliptical reflection surface and the left elliptical reflection surface through the right parabolic reflection surface and the left parabolic reflection surface. Therefore, there has been a problem that the light emitted from the light emitting source of the bulb leaks from the opening of the shield plate.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described two problems that: the conventional former vehicle lighting device cannot form the predetermined main light distribution pattern of the vehicle headlamp; and that in the conventional latter headlamp, the light emitted from the light emitting source of the bulb leaks from the opening of the shield plate.